Driving attachment for automobiles



June 23, 1925. 1,542,897

w. H. LONSDALE DRIVING Aflhcmll'l F58 LUTOIDBILBS Filed a, s. 1924 sShoots-Sheet 1 Inventor Attorney W. H. LONSDALE DRIVING ATTACHMENT FORAUTOMOBILES June 23, 1925. 1,542,897

Filed llay 3, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor jfiZZz'am K ZarwdaleAttorney June 23, 1925. 1,542,897

w. H. LONSDALE DRIVING ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed May 5, 1924 3Sheets-Sheet 5 'IIIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/llt It Inventor Ifz'ilzam A.loizsdaie 0 a ifzo.

Attorney Patented June 23, 1925.

WILLIAM H. LON-SDALE, 0F BROWNSBURG, QUEBEC, CANADA.

DRIVING ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed May '3, 1924. Serial No. 710,945.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM H. LoNsnALn, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Brownsburg, Province of Quebec, Canada, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Attachments forAutomobiles; and I do'hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

The present invention pertains to an attachment for automobiles, themovement of which is controlled by a clutch pedal and reverse pedal. Theattachment is particularly adapted to Fordcars.

'- culty in driving a The object of the invention is the provision ofmeans which may be applied to the control apparatus of a car of thischaracter in "order to make the control movements thereof similar to themovements pertaining to automobiles of the more general type, whereinthe high, low and reverse speeds are attained by an operating lever andthe clutch. is actuated from a pedal. Itis well known that a person whohas driven the more. common type of car for a length of time becomes soaccustomed to the movements-thereof that he has reat difficar of theFord type. The habit is most dangerous and asserts itself more readilywhen the driver in the Ford car findsbhimself in a tight position andmust act quickly. Instead of executing the movements necessary for thecontrol of a Ford car, he is inclined to operate as if driving a car ofthe other type, and thus exposes himself to the possibility of accident.This difliculty is overcome by means of the present i tion, since adevice con v structed in accordance therewith and applied to a car ofthe Ford type renders the control movements of the car similar to thoseof a car of the more prominent type.

The invention is fully disclosed in the .following description and inthe accompanyingdrawings in which:

. Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device applied to the transmissioncasing of a Ford automobile, the'dev'ice being in'neutral pol sitionFigure 2 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 1; I

Figure 3 is' an elevation corresponding toFigur-e 1, showing the ofparts when-in everse P S tiQ i 1 Figure 4- is a-similar elevation, inlow speed position F'gure 5 is -a section on the Figure 1; T Y j Figure6is a similar section showing the latch released from the'slidingba-rs;

, Figure 7 is a section onthe line 77 of Figure 2; Y

Figure 8 is a similar section showing the position ofparts in high speedposition;

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9 -9 of Figure 1'; Y Y

Figure 10 is a side elevation showing the parts in highspeed position; IV Y I Figure 11 is a fragmentary plan view corresponding'to Figure 10;and, I Figure 12 is a fragmentary elevation of line 55 of the slow speedshaft and partscarried thereequipped with'a cover 2 which has asubstantially vertical extension. 3 projecting rearwardly of the casing.The cover is formed with a large opening (not shown) the latter beingclosed by means of a sup plementary cover 4.

On the extension or platform 3 is mount- I ed a box 5, the top ofwhich'is covered by a plate 6 having an H-slot'7. In the wallsof the boxis supported a sliding bar 8, to which is secured a substantiallyupright lever 9 projecting through the slot 7. One end of theslidingbar8 carries'a rod 10, from the lower end ofwhieh projects a finger 11, thepurpose of which is pointed out below. A swinging plate 12 is pivoted asat..13 to the platform 3 and is formed with aslot 14 through which therod 10 passes.

A substantially vertical bracket 15 is fixed to the'forward edge of theplatform 3 by means of bolts 16 which pass through the platform andthrough a perpendicular web 17' extending from the plate. To the rearedge of the platform isfsecured an angle bar'18. A; pair of 'yokes 19and 20 are supported for sliding movement by the members 15 and 18 andhave their ends received in appropriate slots 21 and 21' cut throughthese members respectively, Theforward an at th E 61 has: e we 19? hi et e forward end of the yoke has a similar notch 20, each of which isadapted for en gagement in the slot 21.

The reverse pedal which forms part of the Ford driving apparatus isremoved, as may be seen from Figure 9; The slow speed shaft 22 issomewhat longer than usual in order to accommodate the block 23 key-edthereto and lying. adjacent the hub 24' of the clutch pedal 24. The hub24 is loose on the shaft 22. From the block 23 extends an arm 25 havingone end of a link 26 pivoted thereto, the remaining end of the linkbeing pivoted to the forward end of the yoke 19 as may be seen fromFigure 4;

A fork 27 is supported by the upper part of the bracket plate 15 andserves to support a rocker armz28 pivoted therein. The lower end ofthis: arm is pivoted to. the forward end of the yoke 20, as shown inFigure 3. An arm 29 is secured to the reverse pedal shaft 30 and haspivoted thereto one end of a link 31, the remaining end of this linkbeing pivoted to the upper end of the rocker arm 28. p

The cliitch pedal'24: is free on the shaft22 and is extended downwardlybeyond this shaft, as indicated by the numeral 32. A rocker arm-33,fixed to the usual clutch lever shaft 34' has. one end thereof joined tothe extension 32 by means of an adjustable link 35. .The remaining endof the rocker arm carries a finger 36' from which extends a slottedplate 37.

At the rearend of the finger 36, is provided a stop member 38 adaptedtoengage the plate 12, asv shown in Figures 2 and 6 AL U-sha 36d lifter39pivoted to the lower part of the plate 15 is adaptedfor raising eachsliding bar for releasing the notches 19 and'20" from engagement in theslots 21. The free end of the latch has an extension dO'which' isreceived in the slotted plate 37 Assuming that the lever 9 is in neutralposition,,that is between the legs of the H slot, as shown in Figure 2,the clutch pedal 24 is pressed downwardly prior to any ad' justment ofthe lever. In this connection it is to be not'ed'tliat the clutch pedalmust be pressed before making any change in the transmission gearing. Inorder to throw the gearing into high speed, the lever is pulled to theright and intothe shorter leg of the slot. As the rod 8. shifts, itswings the plate 12.0ut of the path of the-stop 38. Since the clutchlevershaft 34 is under torsion, as usual, it isnow free to turn its fullextent whereupon the clutch is engaged for direct drive. The rocker arm33 is brought to the position shown in Figure 10-and raises the clutchpedal 24, so that the direct drive may be broken bypressing downwardlyon this pedal,

To 'bringthemachineinto low speed, the clutch pedal'is pressedwhereuponthe rocker arm 33 and parts carried thereby are returned to the positionshown in Figure 1. The lever 9 is brought into the longer leg of theH-slot, whereupon the rod 10 engages the plate 12 and swings itoutwardly into the path of the raised stop 38. A slight downwardpressure is applied to the clutch pedal 24: and this'raises the stop 38from the swinging plate 12, as shown in Figure 6. The up ward movementof the slotted plate 37 raises the pivoted lifter 39 to the positionshown in Figure 6 in order to permit sliding of the yokes 19 and 20. Thelever 9 is now turned into the lower end of the longer leg of the slotwhereupon the finger 11 carried by the rod 10 slides the. yoke 19forwardly, as shown in Figure 4; During this movement, the yoke 20 isnot displaced since it is disposed forwardly of the yoke 19, as shown inFigure 1. At the end of its stroke, the finger l1 rides on the curve 11formed at the forward end of the body of the yoke 20. Through the mediumof the link 26 and arm 25, the slow speed shaft 22 is turned in the samemanner as by the usual clutch pedal on the Ford car. Pressure on theclutch pedal is released, whereupon the parts actuated thereby arereturned to the position shown in Figure 1. The lifter 39 is likewisereturned to the position shown in Figure 5 and allows the notch 19 ofthe yoke 19 to engage the slot 21 to lock the yoke 19 in place. 7

In order to reverse, the lifter 39 is. operated by a slight downwardpressure on the clutch pedal 24: as already described. The lever 9 ispushed into the forwardend of the longer leg. of the H-slot, whereuponthe finger 11 carried by the rod 10 draws the yoke 20 rearwardly to theposition shown in Fig ure 3; The finger travels in the open part of theyoke 19, and upon reaching the end of its stroke rides on the curve 422formed at the rear end of this yoke.v It will thus be seen that nomovement'is imparted to the yoke 19. At the end of the stroke the notch20of the yoke 20 is in alineinent with the slot 21 of the plate 15. Thepressure on the clutch pedal is now released whereupon the lifter 39 andyoke 20 are lowered, due to the torsion on' the clutch lever shaft 34,

whereby the notch 21 is brought into engagement in the receptive slot21'of' the plate 15.

lVhen shifting into high, the lifter-39 is again raised and the leverfl9is carried to the position shown in Figure 11. The swinging plate 12 isengaged by the rod. 10 and carried. out of the pathof the stop 38; Thetorsion on the shaft 345 now swings the rocker arm 33 to the limit shownin Figure 10, whereupon a direct drive is established as already pointedout.

While a specific embodiment of the. inven tion has been illustrated anddescribed, it is to be understood that various alterations in thedetails of construction may be made without departing from the spirit ofthe invention as indicatedby the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new anddesire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A driving attachment for anautomobile having a transmission casing contain ing variable gearing anda clutch pedal shaft adapted to set said gearing for low speed,comprising a yoke slidably supported by said casing, an operativeconnection between the yoke and the shaft, a slidable bar supported bythe casing, an operating lever for shifting said bar, and a rod securedto the bar and adapted to engage said yoke.

2. A driving attachment for an automobile having a transmission casingcontaining variable gearing and. a shaft journaled in'said casing andadapted for the adjustment of the gearing, comprising a yoke slidablysupported by said casing, an operative connection between'the yoke andthe shaft, a slidable bar supported by the casing, an operating leverfor shifting said bar, a rod secured to the bar and adapted; to engagesaid yoke, a pedal loosely mounted on said shaft, and'a locking devicefor said yoke operatively connected to said pedal.

3. A driving attachment for an automobile having a transmission casingcontaining variable gearing and a clutch pedal shaft adapted to set saidgearing for low speed, comprising a yoke slidably supported by saidcasing, an operative connection between the yoke and the shaft, aslidable bar supported by the casing, an operating lever for shiftingsaid bar, a rod secured to the bar and adapted to engage said yoke, aclutch pedal loosely mounted on said shaft, and a locking device forsaid yoke operatively connected to said pedal.

l. A driving attachment for an automobile having a transmission casingcontaining variable gearing, a clutch pedal shaft adapted to set, saidgearing for low speed, and a reverse pedal shaft adapted to set saidgearing for reverse movement, said attachment comprising a pair of yokesslidably supported by the casing and operatively connected to saidshafts, a slidable bar supported by the casing, an operating lever forshifting said bar, and a rod secured to said bar and adapted forselective engagement with said yokes.

5. A driving attachment for an automobile having a transmission casingcontaining variable gearing, a clutch pedal shaft adapted to set saidgearingfor low speed, and a reverse pedal shaft adapted to set Saidgearing for reverse movement, said attachment comprising a pair of yokesslidably supported by the casing and operatively connected to saidshafts, a slidable bar supported by the casing, an operating lever forshifting said bar, a rod secured to said bar and adapted for selectiveengagement with said yokes, a clutch pedal loosely mounted on the clutchpedal shaft, and a locking device for said yokes operatively connectedto said pedal. I

g 6. A driving attachment for an automobile having a transmission casingcontaining variable gearing, a clutch pedal shaft adapted .to set saidgearing for low speed, and a clutch lever shaft adapted to establishdirect drive from said gearing, said attachment comprising-a yokeslidably supported by said casing, an operative connection between theyoke and the clutch pedal shaft, a slidable bar supported by the casing,an operating lever for shifting said bar, a rod secured to the bar andadapted to engage the yoke, a clutch pedal loosely mounted on the clutchpedal shaft, a rocker arm fixed to the clutch lever shaft and connectedto the clutch pedal, a latch for locking said yoke, a keeper for saidlatch carried by the rocker arm, a stop carried by the keeper, a platepivoted to the casing, said plate being engageable by said'rod formovement into and out of the path of the stop by actuation of theoperating lever.

7.,A driving attachment for an automobile having a transmission casingcontaining variable gearing, a clutch pedal shaftadapted to set saidgearing for low speed, a reverse shaft for reversing the movement ofsaid gearing, and a clutch lever shaft adapted to establish direct drivefrom said gearing, said attachment comprising a pair of yokes supportedby the casing and operatively connected to the clutch pedal shaft andreverse shaft respectively, a slidable bar supported by the casing, anoperating lever for shifting said bar, a rodsecured to the bar andadapted for selective engagement with said yokes, a clutch pedal looselymounted on the clutch pedal shaft, a rocker arm fixed to the clutchlever shaft and connected to the clutch pedal, a latch for locking saidyokes in adjusted positions, a keeper for said latch carried by therocker arm, a stop carried by the keeper, a plate pivoted to the casing,

said plate being engageable by the rod for v my hand.

VILLIAM H. LONSDALE.

